Attorney General's News Release

February 16, 2000

Nixon obtains court order to prevent Tyson from illegally discharging wastewater from slaughterhouse into creek

Sedalia, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today obtained a court-approved consent decree that blocks Tyson Foods Inc. from illegally discharging process wastewater — much of it untreated — from its poultry slaughterhouse into a creek near Dresden. The Tyson facility, which converts poultry byproducts to animal feed, will only be able to discharge treated wastewater as allowed in its permit.

Nixon said that Tyson had discharged untreated wastewater from the slaughterhouse to a tributary of Little Muddy Creek, and that the company does not have a permit for the discharge.

"Tyson apparently has not balanced its capacity to slaughter chickens with the ability to properly treat the wastewater that results from that process," Nixon said. "Churning out more dog biscuits shouldn't come at the expense of untreated slaughterhouse waste going into our streams."

Nixon said Tyson will have to halt those discharges and submit a plan to the Department of Natural Resources to permanently eliminate any discharge of untreated wastewater.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

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